Cable connectors are ubiquitous in today's technical environment. A myriad of connectors are used to couple cables and other signal carrying lines. The cables can carry multiple signals on multiple lines, and can be made of numerous materials, including copper wire, fiber-optics, gold-plated materials, etc. Furthermore, the signal lines carrying the signal through the cables can have a number of arrangements, where lines can be bundled or unbundled, multiplexed or non-multiplexed, and can carry a near limitless range of signals, carrying electrical pulses and currents which transmit data, encoded or un-encoded, voice communications, audio and video communications, etc.
Generally, for a given application, the cable and signal carrying lines have a unique property or structure dictated by the task at hand. This unique structure dictates that the connector heads for the cable be made of a similarly unique structure in order for the cable to function properly. An example is the home electrical socket, which includes a three-pin structure to carrying alternating current through a grounded connection. Computer cable connector heads often have an even higher number of pins for the multi-line signals that they carry. The heads for such devices also have a great variety of shapes so that they uniquely fit into the device they are connecting. For example, a serial port connector head has different shape than a parallel port connector head, so a user instantly understands which head is which and is able to easily differentiate between the two.
Assembling and making a connector head is therefore dictated by the nature of the signals carried in the cable, and the nature of the device to which the cable is connected. Often, it is necessary to build a connector head from scratch, or repair an existing connector head. Assembly, either from scratch or as part of a defined manufacturing process, can be cumbersome and expensive.
A particular kind of connector head is required to be used with a patient station apparatus that is used in a nurse call system for hospital and other medical facilities. The connector head must be practical to assemble and repair, and must be robust in case of failure. Often, with multi-line signal carrying devices and their associated connector heads, a single failure in one of the lines can render the entire apparatus useless. These failures can occur for any kind of connector head, including both male and female heads. The assembly and repair issues for a female head can be more difficult and expensive, depending on the device.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for a female connector head for a multi-line signal carrying cable that is simple and robust, and can be easily repaired or fixed in case of failure. It is also desirable to provide a method of assembling and making such a female connector head for a multi-line signal carrying cable.